Author's Note: Here it is, finally.
Beta: GeneralMayhem, kpmh2001
Pyrrha had grown accustomed to sitting in the Headmaster's office. While in her first life that idea may have been worrying, it no longer carried the same negative impressions it had before. While she was still unsure of why she was there, she was confident she hadn't done anything wrong and that she wasn't by any means in trouble.
That fact hadn't been enough for Coco however, her friend was very much against the idea of her going to see the Headmaster alone after his recent threats of sending her away. It had taken the combined efforts of the rest of Team CFVY to stop her from barging in beside Pyrrha.
She appreciated the gesture, and knowing that there was someone who cared about her well-being was a source of great comfort, but Coco's presence wasn't necessary. She trusted the Headmaster to uphold his word, and knowing that Qrow and Professor Goodwitch were likely going to be there as well made it all the easier. In the end she knew she wouldn't have been able to bring Team CFVY along even if she wanted to.
She had been the last to arrive, and in doing so had clearly interrupted a conversation the group had been having. Pyrrha had been curious but they didn't rekindle the discussion so she held her tongue and didn't comment. Instead, they began to tell her why she was there.
"Cinder was able to infiltrate the student body of Haven in your last life; we have little reason to assume she would do differently this time around." The Headmaster said. "Obviously steps should be taken to monitor them in the event that their plans begin to deviate from what you may know. With Haven's school year about to start most of their students have already arrived, ideally our enemy will already be there."
Pyrrha nodded along, careful to listen to the details of the plan. While Beacon wasn't set to start class for a few more weeks, Haven's was already nearly underway. Mistral often had a violent storm season and the schools there tried to plan around them to avoid the risk, allowing their students to take those weeks off was their solution. To make up for the lost time, Haven typically started the school year much earlier than the other Academies.
"We're going to go spy on the bitch." Qrow said bluntly. "Make sure she doesn't try to fly the coop while we aren't watching."
Ozpin glared at him but didn't disagree. "Our goal is to see if we can uncover any more information about our opponent's plans before they enact them. At the same time, we will try to close whatever gaps in our security allowed them to infiltrate Haven in the first place."
"We'll be going over in secret of course, don't wanna ruin the element of surprise by showing our faces. The Headmaster of Haven is the only one we're going to speak with." Qrow smirked. "Hopefully to better success than our last mission."
"You… want me to go?" Pyrrha looked at the Headmaster curiously.
"No, I do not. I believe it is an unnecessary risk, but Qrow has requested that you go with him." Ozpin hesitated before continuing. "However, it is not my place to tell you you can not go. The decision is ultimately up to you."
"You're the only person who knows who we're looking for, I'd rather not risk wasting time trying to hunt them down. It would save a lot of time if you were there to guarantee that we were watching the right person." Qrow continued to smile. "Should be pretty simple, think of it more like a vacation really. Just watching a couple of the most evil people on Remnant."
"I shouldn't go." Pyrrha whispered out, driving Qrow to silence and wiping the smile off his face.
"Excuse me?"
"I shouldn't go." Pyrrha restated. "If Cinder sees me… it's all over. Everything would change." She looked up to the Headmaster, waiting for him to nod in agreement. "If she thinks that I… that Amber isn't dying they'll change their plan. Who knows what they'd do next."
"We would lose one of the few advantages we have." Ozpin was quick to support her decision. "There you have it, Qrow. I'm sure Bart or Port could accompany you if you desire backup and, while you may not be able to tell them everything, they know when not to pry."
Qrow watched her for a moment, a look of subtle betrayal and disappointment mixed with confusion, before turning back to the Headmaster. "No thanks, I'd rather not drag people into this if they don't know what they're getting into."
"Very well, I expect you'll report back regularly?"
"Go with the usual, every day or so." Qrow replied.
"Excellent. Unless anyone has anything more to add…" The Headmaster waited patiently, no one spoke. "Then we are done here."
Pyrrha stood from her chair, bowing her head slightly before turning and making for the elevator. Professor Goodwitch stayed behind but Qrow followed her, waiting for the elevator door to close before speaking.
"What's up?" Qrow grumbled. "You were pretty gung ho about being active before, what changed?"
Pyrrha sighed, having been pleasantly surprised when no one asked why only moments ago. It was unfortunate it couldn't last. "It's not worth the risk."
"Bullshit, danger didn't stop you before."
"It's not that, if Cinder is at Haven my being there puts everything at risk." Pyrrha tried to explain. "If her or any member of her team sees me even for a moment then everything we've worked for will be for nothing."
Qrow watched her silently, contemplating her words carefully. "You're afraid of her."
"Of course I'm afraid of her, Qrow." Pyrrha responded dejectedly. "She killed me. I fought against her with everything I had and it still wasn't enough. She batted me aside like I was nothing. So yes, I am afraid to face her again. As afraid as I was the first time I fought her."
"Huh, and here I thought you'd gone crazy." Qrow was silent for a moment before a small smile worked its way onto his face. "I won't try to guilt you into anything. You've made your choice and I'll respect that… still wish you were tagging along though, could use the extra firepower if things don't go as planned."
Pyrrha chuckled darkly. "I don't know how useful I'd be, I'm not ready to face Cinder yet."
"It's not Cinder I'm worried about." Qrow mumbled, drawing her attention back to him just as the elevator reached the ground floor.
"Is… is there something you're not telling me?"
"I… I'm not just going to spy on Cinder." Qrow explained. "I want to know how they got all the way to Beacon without anybody noticing that something was wrong."
"Do you expect trouble?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly.
Qrow didn't answer immediately, causing Pyrrha's worry to grow. "It shouldn't be anything I can't handle, I've actually planned ahead for once. Oh, that reminds me, don't suppose I could ask you to do me a favour while I'm away?"
Pyrrha didn't fail to notice how he had changed the subject. "What kind of favour?"
"I sort of promised to show a couple people around Vale, something I can't exactly do from Mistral." Qrow chuckled softly. "They've been to the city once or twice, but they aren't super familiar with it, I figured you might be able to help them have some fun while I'm gone."
"Who?"
Qrow smiled brightly in response. "Some people I think you'll wanna meet."
Pyrrha wasn't sure how to describe how she felt. She was excited to be certain, but undeniably anxious as well. When Qrow had told her who she was supposed to show around Vale her response had been immediate, seeing Yang and Ruby again was simply too good a chance to pass up.
The issue came after the fact, when she realized that she wasn't all that familiar with the city herself. Her time in Vale had been spent mostly at Beacon, with the occasional going out with her friends, but she hadn't seen much of the city. She was also horribly inept when it came to planning events for nothing more than enjoyment.
Jaune and Ren had done all the actual planning, Nora pushing the two on with a host of interesting ideas with the occasional gem or two that Ren would point out. All the while Pyrrha would watch on with a subtle smile and simply follow along with what they planned. She wouldn't have done anything, so long as it was with them.
"You're pacing again." Coco examined her nails, paying Pyrrha little mind as the former champion paced back and forth outside the small shop Qrow had told her to wait at.
"Maybe this isn't a good idea." Pyrrha didn't stop walking back and forth, her nerves refusing to allow her to sit still.
"We can go if you'd rather handle it alone." Coco replied, gesturing to the rest of team CFVY and driving Pyrrha into a deeper panic.
"No!" She hastily replied, wincing at the volume of her voice. "S-sorry. I didn't mean you guys, it's just… maybe I shouldn't have agreed to this at all."
Bringing team CFVY along had been Pyrrha's only hope of success. Yang and Ruby would be going to Beacon soon, even if the younger sister didn't know it yet, and Pyrrha knew the two would love the chance to talk to students from the academy, Yang would probably grill them for all the information she could get beforehand, but the real reason she had brought them along was out of necessity.
Team CFVY as a whole were far more socially adept than her, and Coco had a knack for planning events. Team CFVY had been selected to plan the Beacon dance in their second year, only having to give it up due to an impromptu mission, but they had also planned their first year's dance as well, a fact Pyrrha hadn't known until recently.
"I don't think I've ever seen you this anxious before." Velvet commented.
"Me neither." Fox added, the group collectively choosing to ignore the less than helpful comment.
"Relax, I'm sure Qrow's nieces will like you." Coco attempted to wave away Pyrrha's concern. "Any idea what they like?"
Pyrrha responded instantly. "Ruby's a weapons nerd, a little socially awkward like me but nice once you get to know her. Yang's a lot more comfortable in public, she loves to party and go clubbing, but she's smarter than you might think at first, oh and she's really protective of her little sister."
Coco stared back at her. "I meant more like what they do for fun but I can work with a biography." Pyrrha blushed, looking away in embarrassment.
"How do you know so much about them?"
"Qrow told me." Pyrrha responded quickly, a little too quickly if the looks from her friends were anything to go by, but none of them said anything.
"The mall's nearby, that would probably be fun." Velvet offered.
"Probably our best bet until later tonight. I've been looking forward to a night out so we could hit up the club-"
"Ruby's fifteen." Pyrrha interrupted.
"Or we could go get dinner at a nearby diner I know about." Coco corrected, wincing slightly at being reminded of the girl's age.
"The mall has an arcade." Pyrrha remembered. Nora had dragged them there numerous times in her last life, something about the 'energy of the place' seemed to draw her in. That's what she always used to say anyways.
"They might be hesitant to do something that seems so…" Yatsuhashi couldn't seem to finish his sentence, Pyrrha not being sure what he meant.
"Childish." Fox finished for him. "He's worried that Ruby might feel like you're treating her like a kid."
Yatsuhashi nodded his head slightly. "My own sister has started to reach that age where she enjoys doing such things, but hates people implying she does."
"Big guy misses his baby sister already." Fox chuckled warmly and for a moment Pyrrha thought she could see Yatsuahsi blush before it was washed away with a look of neutrality once more.
"My point stands." He reaffirmed, looking towards Pyrrha for an answer.
"I don't think Ruby or Yang will mind." Pyrrha reassured them. Team RWBY had joined them there on more than one occasion, usually at Ruby's insistence. "Besides, the mall also has a good weapons shop. She'll enjoy that."
"So you're just gonna dump Yang on us then?" Coco laughed off Pyrrha's attempt to respond. "I was joking. We're here to help. Is that them?"
Pyrrha froze, slowly looking over her shoulder to see Qrow approaching with Yang by his side and Ruby slightly behind them. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and turned to face them.
"I don't get why we can't just go with you, this was supposed to be a vacation." Yang mumbled the latter, Qrow clearly not being meant to hear it. He did, however, and he felt bad for having to cancel their plans.
Starting Beacon was a big moment in every Huntsmen's and Huntress' life, it marked the start down their path of becoming a real 'defender of humanity' as the propaganda loved to say. It also meant that they would have way less time to spend at home. Knowing that not only Yang but Ruby was going as well? Qrow couldn't pass up the last opportunity to spend time with his nieces before the oncoming storm.
That had been the plan anyways, unfortunately things had changed.
"I know firecracker, believe me I'm just as bummed out as you are. You don't have to go back to Patch though, you two are set to stay at my place, and I should hopefully be back soon." Qrow meant it, he missed the two every day that he wasn't around them and knowing what was coming didn't make that any easier. Still, he had good reason to be leaving. "I would take you if I could, but this mission requires a delicate touch."
"Pfft," Yang leaned her head back slightly. "A delicate touch? You?"
Qrow glared back at her but didn't have to say anything to defend himself, someone else stepping up to do that for him.
"Qrow is totally delicate!" Ruby offered, missing the way that Qrow winced and Yang's smirk grew. "Remember, Dad says he wa-"
Qrow placed a hand over her mouth. "As much as I would love to continue this conversation, we're here."
Ruby pouted at him as he removed his hand but looked to the group they had approached.
"Ruby, Yang, this is Amber." Qrow gestured towards Pyrrha, feeling more than a little awkward as he lied about the name. "She's a good friend of mine and she's agreed to show you two around the city a bit until I get back."
Yang looked Pyrrha up and down before turning towards Qrow and whispering, "Isn't she a bit young for you?" Unfortunately, judging by the quickly mounting blush on Pyrrha's face, Yang's words didn't go missed.
"Oh, I like her." Sunglasses responded with a smirk and Qrow realized that it would likely be a mistake to leave the two alone. Sadly, he had no choice.
"This is why Ruby's my favourite." Qrow mumbled, Yang visibly recoiling as if he had just slapped her. Ruby beamed, sticking her tongue out at Yang. Qrow withdrew a large amount of Lien from his wallet, forcing it into Yang's hand as she still hasn't recovered yet. "Don't do anything stupid with it or your father will kill me. Amber, they're your problem now."
Qrow saw the slightly panicked look in Pyrrha's eyes but ignored it, turning and walking in the direction of the nearest Bullhead dock. Once he had turned the corner he looked back to make sure none of them had followed, honestly having expected Ruby to have stayed attached to him or Yang to have gone after him to get retribution for the 'favorite niece' comment.
There was neither however and he was alone. Before long he had managed to navigate himself to the dock, catching a ride back to Beacon before departing for Mistral. He was sure Oz would have wanted to speak with him before he left but Qrow couldn't be bothered, having still not gotten past the smug look the bastard had acquired ever since Pyrrha had said she wanted to stay.
"Nonstop flight to Mistral, one good-looking pilot and one ugly ass passenger." Qrow shouted profanities at his pilot: 'Fireball', none being heard over the roar of the engines however. "Might wanna settle in back there. It's gonna be a long flight."
Qrow waited to hear the audible sound of the mic keying off before withdrawing his scroll, pulling up a contact he honestly hated having to use. Punching it into a nearby terminal attached to the Bullhead itself. The call took a few moments to go through, Ironwood's perpetual scowl eventually coming into focus.
"Qrow, I take it you're on your way to Mistral?"
Qrow wanted to respond sarcastically, gods how he wanted to. He forced himself to take things seriously however. "Yeah, I'm calling from the Bullhead so the connection might be a bit shaky and the line definitely isn't secure."
Say what you would about the CCT, it had its advantages and drawbacks. While it was handy to be able to make calls across the planet you couldn't do so from your Scroll, those mostly being restricted to the range of the Kingdoms own CCT. In order to make such long distance calls you needed a hard system, something far too big to carry around in your pocket.
"Ozpin sent you alone?" Ironwood's face twisted in what Qrow might have called concern were the General talking to anyone else.
"Our friend didn't wanna go, I wasn't gonna make her either. Not after the recent issue." Qrow kept his words vague, but more than obvious enough for the man on the other side.
"That's unfortunate, but I understand the risk. My own agent will meet you at the predetermined site." Qrow nodded, looking down at his scroll to make sure he had the spot marked. "I must ask… are you sure you're willing to go around his back like this?"
Qrow thought long on the question, sighing before responding. "If we're wrong then there's no harm done and I get to do a bit of sightseeing, but if we're right…"
"For what it's worth, I hope I'm wrong." Ironwood replied, his face looked even more stony and uncomfortable than usual.
"Me too James… me too."
"Best of luck." Ironwood nodded. "Oh, and do try to play nice. You know how easily she can be provoked."
Qrow groaned. "Don't remind me." The video feed suddenly cut out. "Not even a goodbye… dick." Qrow punched in the new coordinates.
"This'll put us down just outside the city." She waited for him to verify before continuing. "Suppose you want me to 'forget' to report you were aboard?"
"You know me so well." Qrow shouted to be heard over the engines.
"Unfortunately." Fireball replied.
I knew she could hear me, the engines aren't that loud. Qrow chuckled coldly, sitting down and settling in for the flight. It was going to be a long couple of weeks.
Author's Note: This chapter was late due to a lack of fore-planning on my part, didn't get it to my editor in time and so it had to wait a day. My bad and hopefully won't happen again.
Other than that I hope you enjoyed it and as always I encourage you to review and let me know your thoughts.
Sincerely SE